Gone Fishing…..

/ Karen Lane

In a previous post I showed a wire work Angler Fish made using galvanised wire, aluminium wire, beading wire and sinamay, for Waltham Textiles forthcoming exhibition. My original plan had been to cover the wire frame with painted Tyvek fabric before distressing with a heat tool….somehow I got carried away with making the framework and didn’t get to add the Tyvek fabric at the point I’d intended and the fish was put to one side looking like this…..

Feeling this project wasn’t really finished, last week I decided to bite the bullet and go back to my original idea of adding the Tyvek fabric, although at this stage it was going to be particularly fiddly! Now I can call it done and I’m really glad I took the time to do it, the result is far closer to how I originally envisaged my fish looking.

Painted with Dylon fabric paint and acrylic ink she stands approx 31cm tall x 62cm long x 36cm wide.

There are over 300 species of anglerfish living at various ocean depths. All anglerfish are carnivorous and therefore adapted for the capture of prey. Deep-sea species have large heads that bear enormous, crescent-shaped mouths full of long, fang-like teeth angled inward for efficient prey-grabbing. Most adult females of the suborder Ceratioidei have a luminescent organ called the esca at the tip of a modified dorsal ray (the illicium or fishing rod). This organ serves the purpose of luring prey in dark, deep-sea environments, but also serves to call males’ attention to the females to facilitate mating. Who knows what this girls gone fishing for!

10 thoughts on “Gone Fishing…..”

  1. very much echoing what others have said Karen- would love to see more of this fishy gorgeousness you ve created. I find these fish fascinating , love the colours and structure you ve shown us here. I also appreciate knowing the names of the light and “ fishing rod’ part of these fascinating creatures as I d not come across those before. I do hope I can get to the Waltham exhibition to see your work

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    • Thanks Lesley! I’ve found this theme fascinating and also learnt things I would maybe never have known.
      I do hope you can make it to exhibition as there will be so many wonderful pieces to see from all nine of our members. For those who can’t get I will be sharing images from the event on my website.

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  2. Karen she is looking beautifully colourful & I’m glad you are now happy having given her her ‘skin’ over her very decorative skeleton.

    I’m looking forward to seeing her in her entirety….hopefully in your next post Xx

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